February 23, 2016

Photographer Profile: Marco Secchi

Marco Secchi is not only an award-winning editorial photographer for Getty Images, but also a passionate Leica shooter when many in his field had long abandoned the rangefinder. Having photographed President Barack Obama and Queen Elizabeth II, Marco is no stranger to high profile events.

Accompanying him to these events? One of his handful of ONA bags, of course!

MS: My father had a shop of photographic professional equipment and during one summer holiday, I was more or less forced into being interested in photography. I read and learned about Ansel Adams, Robert Capa, Henri Cartier-Bresson and Italian photographers as Alinari, Ferreto, Mulas, Tullio Farabola and the emerging Berengo Gardin — all this while playing with my father’s Rolleiflex (that I still occasionally use), along with Ilford paper and an old large-format box camera from Lamperti & Garbagnati.

ONA: What camera do you shoot with? What is your “go to” lens of choice?

MS: I mainly shoot with the Leica M240 and Monochrom 246. My favorite lens is the Leica Summilux 50mm f/1.4. I also shoot with Fuji mirrorless cameras.

ONA: What sort of project drives your creativity? And what is your dream project?

MS: I cover mainly news and international features, so breaking news is what drives me, for sure.

ONA: What is the hardest thing about being a photographer?

MS: In my case, I’m working all days of the week and hours of the day, and under all types of weather, circumstances and environments, so it is difficult to plan any holidays. But at the same time, these challenges are probably the reasons why I am still doing it!

ONA: Describe your style of shooting.

MS: Style is an individual characteristic and is best depicted through raw, energetic images taken in the bat of an eye. This is a crucial element in my photographic work. I strive to come up with new ideas and angles to capture outstanding illustrations of everyday life.

ONA: In one sentence, what advice would you give to a photographer just starting out?

MS: Never give up, and try as much as you can to be selective with your choice of work. Do not try to do too many things in different areas — specialization pays!

ONA: How did you hear about us?

MS: I bought a first bag advertised in a Leica magazine — and then ended up owning 4 or 5!